Today we have a quote from Jonathan Sharp regarding a change in resurrection timers in sPvP. Recently, ArenaNet made the decision to change the timers from a wave-type system to a flat timer for each death on the field. After taking in some feedback from the community, they have decided to reduce the timer from 20 seconds to 15 seconds:

Hey all.

We’re going to bring down the res timers from 20 seconds to 15 seconds. A lot of people have posted about how they don’t like the new system, and a lot of people have posted about how they DO like the new system. So, let’s set the record straight:

We want the best system for the game, the best system for the community, and the best system for growing the game’s Esport’s potential.

So we’ll keep an eye on this. If the entire community feels that wave spawn timers are better for the game, then we’ll go back to that. However, right now, it seems that some people like it, feel that it “rewards” each kill (before, someone could die and hit the res wave timer such that they would literally be back in a few seconds) and doesn’t require players to have to memorize the clock wave respawn timings in order to be an effective killer. We’re watching the threads on this issue, so keep posting your thoughts.

TL:DR – We’re listening to you and we’ll iterate on it until we find the best solution for the game overall. [Source]

In another post by Jonathan Sharp, he reassures the community that they have more than two people working on PvP, WvW and balance and explains what Jon Peters meant in his post when he said "There are >500 skills in this game, 480 traits, and 2 designers working on this."

A while ago Jon Peters said something that has been taken out of context. He said that only two people were working on the things he was working on (which was true – but he meant it differently than how it was received) and people have taken that to mean that we only have 2 people working on balance, or PvP, or both (at this point it’s morphed into different things in different threads).

Based on what was said, I understand how it could have been construed, so I wanted to be as transparent as I can be, so that you know what’s happening inside the studio.

PvPOn the PvP team we have programmers, designers, QA and an environment artist (Darrin Claypool – he’s the guy who just finished making Temple of the Silent Storm). Many PvP features need all members of the team, but some are programmer intensive, or art intensive. For example, while we’re still working on custom arenas and other core features (which involve server programmers, UI programmers and gameplay programmers), designers and artists were able to build the recently released “Temple of the Silent Storm”. Because the map required no code, we simply worked with art, design and sound in order to support this map’s needs. Work on custom arenas requires zero environment art, so those two features (custom arenas and a new map) don’t impact one another greatly, as far as work flow goes.

WvWFor WvW, we have a similar setup. We have designers, QA, programmers and environment artists. WvW is a massive piece of the GW2 pie, and the WvW team is able to focus on WvW needs. While many of us in the company may give feedback/ideas/suggestions to the WvW team, they are the ones who actually implement and carry out those changes.

BalanceWhen it comes to balance, we have multiple people who give feedback/guidance/suggestions, even though a smaller subset actually implement those changes (which is what Jon was saying in his post). After we have balance meetings, a few of the designers implement the changes. If it’s a WvW change, the WvW designer will implement that change. If it’s a PvP change, one of the PvP designers implements it (again, this is what Jon was saying). If it’s strictly a balance change, then we have a designer do it that has the bandwidth (sometimes it’s me, sometime it’s even Izzy, but usually it’s Karl or Peters). Currently, when we have balance meetings, the following people are present in various combinations, depending on the topic:

Jon Peters – game designer

Karl McLain – game designer

Representatives from the WvW team, including QA and design

Representatives from the dungeon teams, including another game designer

Representatives from the live response team, including QA guys who play ALL aspects of the game A LOT

Other representatives from the PvP team, like Tyler Bearce (designer) and Roy Cronacher (QA)

Izzy – lead designer

Myself – game designer

When we’re in those meetings, we’ll talk about hot topics, and issues that are currently a big issue for a certain piece of content. We also listen to high level players, we read the forums (sometimes we even take the best-written posts, print out 10 copies, and bring them to a balance meeting), and we play the game to get a feel for ourselves. Just because you don’t see a change that YOU want, keep in mind that someone else may disagree. Just because we don’t do every single change YOU want, doesn’t mean we don’t care about you or the game. We just try to make the best changes for the greatest number of players.

I just wanted to clear this up to let you guys know a little bit more of what happens here inside the studio so you understand more of what Peters was trying to say. He’s just as busy as we all are, and with a lot of us gone for Thanksgiving (he’s not here right now), I just took it upon myself to try to clear this up a little.

We also have a video that we wanted to highlight today! For those of you struggling with the jumping puzzles in Southsun Cove, here's a quick walkthrough of both puzzles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjuC3gTBSSg

There is one thing, however, that this video doesn't touch on. After the Skipping Stones puzzle, you can cross another "boat bridge" and defeat a champion reef rider to pillage yet another chest of goods!

Comments

I feel sorry for them. There are so many people who think that everything they say is correct. That is why forum threads end up in flame war, insted of giving a constructiv critic and be tolerant to others. I don't like some parts in the game, but I know how many people actually likes them.

[quote name='borovnica' timestamp='1353526643' post='2091393']I feel sorry for them. There are so many people who think that everything they say is correct. That is why forum threads end up in flame war, insted of giving a constructiv critic and be tolerant to others. I don't like some parts in the game, but I know how many people actually likes them.[/quote]

Pretty much this. Sadly though, I give it 5 minutes before you and/or the forums erupt because of a 5 second difference...

[quote name='Seyfried' timestamp='1353843688' post='2095376']No we haven't. Perhaps removed from WvW, but at high level tPvP, its what alot of battles revolve around.[/quote]

It ruins the pvp, full stop. PVP in other games a skilled played could go up against 3 people and come out of it the victor at the other end. The PVP in GW2 makes this near impossible. Hell, even 1v1 is terrible with the downed state. Remember those epic PVP matches where you win by a fraction of hp and it makes you feel like you did well? Not in GW2. Drop him, oh nope, he downed you when he was downed. Since he was downed first, that usually means he gets back up first. GG, your fight accomplished nothing.

It ruins the pvp, full stop. PVP in other games a skilled played could go up against 3 people and come out of it the victor at the other end. The PVP in GW2 makes this near impossible. Hell, even 1v1 is terrible with the downed state. Remember those epic PVP matches where you win by a fraction of hp and it makes you feel like you did well? Not in GW2. Drop him, oh nope, he downed you when he was downed. Since he was downed first, that usually means he gets back up first. GG, your fight accomplished nothing.

[quote name='Seyfried' timestamp='1353844159' post='2095384']It ruins PvP for people who only play by themselves, for themselves.

GW2 tPvP is a team game.[/quote]

That's the true pvpers. The ones who know that they can do well and have the skill to do well by themselves. Hiding behind a team is not PVP. Ganking a guy returning from a base with 3 of you is not pvp. PVP is player vs player. Not players vs players. It will always be about the individual. Saying that though, a lot of the pvpers have since left GW2, which is a shame really because I enjoyed watching battles and listening to peoples builds etc. People know by now that GW2 will never be an e-sport, mainly due to mechanics like the downed state. It's not what people are sued to, or want in their pvp environment.